Self-anchoring windlass



E. C. WINGIRE.

SELF ANCHORING WINDLASS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30. 1917.

1,307,389. PatentedJune 24, 19K).

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

E. C. WINGIRE.

SELF ANGHORING WINDLASS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30, 1911.

1,307,389. v Patented June 24, 1919.

' 2 SHEETS-*SHEET 2.

nmrnn STATES PATENT curios- ERNEST C. WINGIRE, OF MINNEAPOLIS,MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO PETER J. N. MILLER, 0F MILLER, SOUTHDAKOTA.

SELF-ANCHORING WIN'DLASS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 2451919,

Application filed March 30, 1917. Serial No. 158,614.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST C. VINGIRE, a citizen of the-United States,residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Anchoring Windlasses; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention has for its object to provide a combined Windlass andanchor adapted for a great many different uses, and especially adaptedto be carried in an automobile or motor-propelled vehicle and to be usedin case the machine becomes mired or stuck, to draw the machine ontogood road.

Generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices andcombinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claim.

Because of the character of the device, and the manner in which it willanchor itself under the drawing strain of the wind lass, it is hereintermed a self-anchoring Windlass. The Windlass is mounted on a suitableframe, preferably in the form of a longitudinally extended so-calledback rib that is provided at one end with a ground engaging fork ortine, and at its other end, with a pivoted head, to which head groundengaging thrust legs are pivoted for lateral movements. This arrangementabove generally outlined when combined with a Windlass drum and cableapplied as hereinafter described, produces a very highly efficientself-anchoring Windlass which will anchor itself firmly, either to ahard or soft roadbed, and which may be made of a small size and of'lightweight, and yet have sufficient pulling power to pull an automobile ortruck out of any bad place in which it is likely to be stalled.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention, likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan view showing the improved device;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same adjusted for use to pull anautomobile, for example, out of a hole or place where it is stuck; and

Fig. 3 is a side elevation illustrating the use of the device forstretching fence wires.

Describing first the construction when used as illustrated in Figs. 1and 2, the numeral 4: indicates a tubular metal bar or pipe sectionwhich constitutes the backframe member, and at its rear end, is providedwith depending groundengaging tines 5. Preferably there are two of thesetines 5 arranged to constitute a fork projecting on opposite sides ofthe bar 41.. A transversely extended yoke-like head (3 is pivotallyconnected to the upper or front end of the bar 4, by a transverse pivotbolt or pin 7. The opposite ends of the head 6 are bifurcated and theupper ends of folding legs 8 are pivotally connected thereto at 9. Theselegs 8 are preferably tubular and like the bar 4, advisably made ofwrought iron or steel tubing. 7

To the intermediate portion of the backrib or bar 4:, a bearing bracket10 is rigidly but adjustably secured. This bearing bracket 10 has acentrally located split sleeve that is adapted to be clamped onto thesaid bar 41 by nut-equipped bolts 11. The bracket 10 has depending arms10 in which a short transverse Windlass shaft 19, is journaled. The saidshaft, between the arms 1O has a Windlass drum 13, and at one end, has aworm gear 1 1. The worm gear 14 meshes with a worm 15 secured to ashaft16 that is journaled and movable endwise in vertically spaced bearinglugs 10!, one on the sleeve of the bearing bracket 10 and the otherformed as a projection of one of the arms 10 thereof. At its upper end,the worm shaft 16 has an angular shank 16 to which a wrench, or thelike, is adapted to be applied, so as to thereby rotate the wormianddrive the Windlass drum 13. The numeral 17 indicates a cable, one end ofwhich is attached to and thereby wound upon the drum 13 and the otherend of which is shown as provided with a book 18 engageable with thetubular rear end of the back-rib or bar 4. A tackle block pulley orsheave 19 is applied to the intermediate portion of the cable. Thissheave 19 is journaled in a yoke 20 which, by means of an extended cableor connection 21, is adapted to be directly anchored to the automobile,or other object to be pulled.

Figs. 1 and 2 show how the device is adapted tobe set upon .the groundor road and used as a combined .anchor and .power.

device. In this adjustment, the thrust legs 8 are preferably spreaduntil theirupper ends are stopped against the head 6, thus rendering theframe rigid. The inclination given. to the said legs 8.may be Varied. Itis advisable to set the Windlass drum as low downas possible. In softground, theforl; 5 willsettle, of course, .more than in hard ground, andhence, in setting the devicelin soft ground, the thrust legs 8 shouldbegiv'en greater inclination than when setti githe device .on hardground Under, .the force of the pull on the .cable,the fork, 5 willenter the ground and the whole device Willtend to move slightly forward.After the forks have entered theground, the tension on the legs 8 can bereleased and the free ends of the legs forced farther forward, so astoset the legs at less inclination totheground and thereby throw thedrum as close ,to the ground as practicable.

It is here important .to note that ,with strainon the cable, half .ofthe force will be applied to the hook 18, thereby pulling downward onthe rear or lower .end of the bar 4 and thus insuring ,good contactbetween the forkand the ground. This device will anchor itself either onvery hard or soft ground. Under the eabledrawing force, the lower hub of,the worm 115 will be forced against :the lower bearing lug 10?..and theworm willbe held inmesh with the worm gear 14. It will, of coursebeQunderstood that the worm gears afford a self-locking device for thewindlass drum, lVhenthe windless .drum is turned backward, the

r worm will be raised toward .the.,upp,er,lug

10 and here it should be noted that there is sufficient clearancebetweenthe two lugs 10 to permit the worm to be, raised, entirely out of meshwith the worm, gear. When the worm is held in its raisedposit iointheWindlass drum may be freely rotated. Obviously, the saidtvorm can bethusheldin its raised or inoperative position simply by takingliold ofthe upper end'of the worm shaft 16 andholding the same in its,uppermost-position. As. shown, the, worm shaft 16 is, provided with aperforation 16 which, when the worm is raised will be'just'above theupper lug,10 ,.so that by placing .the pin or nail, or the like, in thesaid perforation at such time, the worm will beheld in its, in-

-c are attached and secured at their extended ends. In this use of theWindlass, the spread ends ofthe legs 8 rest upon theground.

Inactual practice, the above described device has beeirfound highlyefficient for the several purposes, had in view, It is usually 7 .k. lmade of a comparatively,sluall s ze.and of a weight, a p roximatingtwenty pounds, suitably designed, to be carried un der the seat of anautomobile and servicerble for pulling an automobile out ofbadplaees.

lVhen' the device is out of use, thehead or yoke 6 can bepivotally,turncd,upsiddown and the legs 8 folded together and agz inistthe back barAc, so.that the entire device.willpccupy but very smallspace, i

It will be note'd that the back frame A is longer thanthe legs 8 andthat thelegs ,8 are much longer than thedependii g prongs 5. Thisprovidcsan arran ement in which, regardless of the spreadand the angleof the legs 8, the back frame 4 willalways stalid at an acuteangle tothe, ground, or, stated in another way, the line of. pull on the,anchoringdeviee will be at airacute angle to the back frame. As theprongs enter the ground, the back frame will be moved into a slightlygreater. angle to the grQundand to the lineof pull,.but will always' beat an acute angle thereto, an angle less than forty-five degrees.

WVhat I claim is:

In device of the kind dcscribed, the combination with an obliquebackframe, of .a yoke-like head pivoted to the front ,endof the back,frame for. reverse turning moyement past the front .end thereof,.a,pair,l0f legs pivoted ,to sai d hcad, for transverse movement inrespect to the baekframe and arranged to be folded by, va turningmovg-zment ofjsaidhead into substantially parallel arrangementwith thebaekframe, a bearing bracket mounted on ,the .back frame, and i aWindlass drum journaled, .on the bearing bracket.

. In testimony whereof I atlix my signature in presence oftwo witnesses.

ERNEST o. wineries.

Witnesses Bnn roE G. WHEELER, F. D. MERCHANT.

Copies of thispatentgnay be obtai nedior five cents each,,.-byaddressing the Commissioner oflatepts,

,Wgshipgton, D. C.

